Feature – World Press Photo Exhibition 2025: Importance of press freedom in Indonesia

World Press Photo Exhibition demonstrates the importance of press freedom and visual literacy for Indonesian audiences.

 

Pontianak, W Kalimantan (Indonesia Window) – The World Press Photo Exhibition 2025 showcases the world’s best photojournalism and documentary photography, highlighting the importance of press freedom, supporting photographers, and introducing visual literacy to a broader audience.

Organized by Erasmus Huis of the Dutch Embassy in Indonesia, the exhibition has been running at Port 99 in Indonesia’s Pontianak City, West Kalimantan Province, from October 3 to November 1, 2025, and at the Netherlands Cultural Center and Library in Jakarta, Indonesia, from November 25 to December 24.

Erasmus Huis is proud to once again support the World Press Photo exhibition, an event that has been instrumental in shaping and inspiring generations of photojournalists in Indonesia.

“Bringing this exhibition to Pontianak for the first time allows us to connect with a broader audience and engage in new conversations around the work,” said Erasmus Huis Director Nicolaas de Regt, who opened the event, here, Sunday.

The exhibition underscores the power of press freedom and serves as a reminder for us to view the world with more compassion and empathy,” according to Nicolaas de Regt.

The exhibition emphasizes the importance of global dialogue and encourages cross-cultural understanding and conversation about the world’s most pressing issues.

The winning images tell stories about the results of the war in Gaza, the struggle of migration and the climate crisis.

They connect us to the struggles, hopes and resilience of people around the world.

This year, Indonesian photographer Mas Agung Wilis Yudha Baskoro won the singles category for the Southeast Asia and Oceania region, for his photo ‘The Impact of Nickel Mining on Halmahera Island”.

2025 also marks the World Press Photo’s 70th anniversary. This milestone reflects years of powerful photography and compelling storytelling.

“Not only does this anniversary offer a moment of reflection, but also an opportunity to learn from the past and to continue evolving with purpose and integrity,” Executive Director of World Press Photo Joumana El Zein Khoury said.

On October 5, 2025, the photo exhibition was attended by several visitors, including Renold Naiggolan, an employee at the Supreme Audit Agency (lovally known as its abbreviation BPK) in Pontianak, West Kalimantan province.

According to Renold, the photo exhibition was very interesting because it provides stories and information about conditions in various countries, especially in conflict zones.

“For me, and perhaps other young people who are concerned about environmental issues, economic problems, and the climate crisis, this photo exhibition is very interesting because it discusses, among other things, problems in the Amazon and conflicts in the Middle East,” Renold said.

Such photo exhibitions, according to Renold, should also attract the attention of parents who are expected to bring their children to such events, in an effort to educate them about the subjects presented there.

“Such exhibitions should also be held in busy places, such as campuses that have rooms for large-scale events like exhibitions,” Renold opined.

Reporting by Indonesia Window